


Saviour

by JayTyHeyBye



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is basically the mom, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Dreams, Family Reunions, Galra!Keith, Genderfluid Pidge | Katie Holt, He's purple, Hurt/Comfort, I Blame Tumblr, Keith doesn't know what he's doing tbh, Keith low-key has a panic attack, Keith's Mother - Freeform, Lance is a good boyfriend, M/M, Nightmares, Reunions, Shiro is the acting dad of the group, There will be Klance at some point, Yay space travel, for part of it, hopefully, i don't know sciencey stuff so bear with me, i know this isn't how it happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-23 21:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9679304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTyHeyBye/pseuds/JayTyHeyBye
Summary: “I’ll come back for you, little lion. Be brave. Be safe. I know you’ll do great things some day.”





	1. Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I know this isn't how it happened but bear with me okay
> 
> AO3 IS FUCKING UP SO THE DREAM TEXT LOOKS WEIRD HALFWAY THROUGH IM SORRY

_He could feel himself being shifted around in someone’s arms. He knew he was being moved, and he could hear hushed whispers, but no matter how hard he tried to listen in, he couldn’t make out any words. When his eyes fluttered open, he realized he was being held against someone’s chest, and wrapped tightly in a red blanket. He remembered that blanket. It was in the hut, still (hopefully) in the middle of the desert._

_He finally could make out the face of his father._

_“...you can’t do this. He’s my son too!”_

_“If they find him, they’ll kill him. I need to do this, Christopher, I’m sorry.”_

_“How are you going to hide him, Oria? Look at him!”_

_Keith took the moment to try and glance up at the woman who was apparently holding him. Her voice was soft, and Keith noticed how black, curly hair fell passed her shoulders. He could only see up to her neck. She didn’t seem to have a face, which sent shivers down his spine. He could see his father so clearly, but she was simply a blur._

_“I’m hiding him to protect him!”_

_His mother was a blur, and no matter how hard he squinted or tried, he couldn’t get her into focus. Even when her head moved to look down at him directly, there was nothing. He couldn’t see her._

“Keith.”

_He had been held by her. She had cradled him in her arms._

“Keith.” 

_She had been there. She had been trying to protect him._

“Keith!”

The red paladin awoke with a start, his body coated in sweat. He felt a hand remove itself from his shoulder, and soon, he could make out Shiro’s voice through all of his panting.

“Bad dream?”

“Why did you wake me up?” He was furious. He was so close to seeing his mother. She had been right there, and Shiro had taken her away from him.

Shiro’s expression turned into a frown.

“You were having a nightmare. I was trying to-”

“I wasn’t having a nightmare!” Keith was almost yelling now. He tore the sheets off of his legs and got up, moving across the room to grab his clothes as he turned his back to Shiro.

“I’ll meet you in the dining hall for Breakfast.”

“Keith-”

“I won’t be long.” Keith muttered through gritted teeth, now pulling off the sweat-soaked shirt he was wearing in order to put on a clean one. He heard Shiro sigh in defeat, before the door opened and closed with a swish. 

He let out a sigh when he was by himself. He had to try again tonight. He had to see her. 

That night couldn’t have gone fast enough. Keith had tried to busy himself throughout the day, whether it be by helping Allura in the control room, or in the training simulator, the hours still seemed to move agonizingly slow. As Allura finally ordered the Paladins to get some rest, Keith had sprinted out of the room before she even got the chance to finish her sentence. He didn’t even bother changing into different clothes, he simply pulled the blankets over himself and closed his eyes.

\---------

_~He was in those arms again. Wrapped in the same blanket. There was one hand under his bum and another on the back of his head, and he could hear her breathing heavily. It finally dawned on him that she must be running, because he could feel the bounce from her footsteps._

_Where was she taking him?_

_After what felt like ages, she finally slowed down to a quick walk. She then stopped altogether._

_He let out a whine as he felt himself being moved, and suddenly warm arms were replaced with a cement floor. As he opened his eyes, he was looking up at her. He couldn’t be more than six or seven months old, because he found himself unable to do anything, other than let out a pained whimper._

_The woman finally knelt down, hushing him softly._

_Keith finally saw that she was wearing a hood now, and gloves. Anything to hide her appearance. Anything to keep others from knowing she was Galra._

_It was then that he registered her voice, and realized she was speaking to him._

“...And I would tell you to be brave, but I already know you will be, little Lion.”

That was ironic. He felt a toothless smile cross his face. When he blinked, the blur was fading. He could make out her mouth. Only her mouth. She had jagged teeth, but the most beautiful smile Keith had ever seen.

“Yes, my beautiful little Lion.” her fingers brushed against his cheek, then tapped lightly on his nose. He giggled. Now half of her face was visible. His heart was beating in his chest. Only a few more moments. 

He felt his heart jump into his chest when her hand grabbed ahold of his. It was tiny, as expected. His entire hand could wrap around one of her fingers. His entire purple, clawed hand. 

He was Galra.

He was like her.

He saw her reach into her cloak with her free hand, and pull out what looked to be a dagger. His dagger. THE dagger. However, the symbol in the middle was completely lifeless. It was black, dead, and unlike the vibrant purple he was used to.

It only took a second to see that she was whispering something into the dagger, then waved her hand over it, and sent a small jolt of electricity into the symbol. Keith almost felt his heart launch itself out of his chest. Was she like Galra’s witch? WAS she Galra’s witch? She was using magic. 

He snapped out of it as the dagger was cloaked in some sort of sheath. Smart. Baby him would have probably accidentally stabbed himself. She leaned down to kiss his forehead, and Keith barely registered how there were tears falling down her cheeks. She was crying. She was leaving him, and she was sad about it. That was enough to make tears spring to his eyes.

“As long as you have this knife, my little lion, you’ll be cloaked.” She whispered, and Keith noticed how the purple claws faded into small, chubby, pale fingers. Baby fingers. She had made him appear human to protect him. She was still trying to keep him safe. 

When she pulled herself away from his forehead, Keith’s breath caught in his throat. There she was. He could see her entire face.

She was beautiful.

Her eyes were pure yellow, but were filled with tears. She had red marks down her face, an identifying symbol of the Galra. She was a pure, mesmerizing purple. Same as before, she had long, curly, black hair that fell down her shoulders. He could see now that she had bangs, unlike most female Galra. Their hair was just slicked back. Keith had a feeling that she had been gone for quite a while. 

She turned away from him as they both seemed to hear a loud explosion, and Keith saw fear glance in his mother’s eyes. She turned back to him, adjusted the blanket with trembling fingers, then kissed his forehead once more. 

“I’ll come back for you, little lion. Be brave. Be safe. I know you’ll do great things some day.”

In the blink of an eye, she had stood, and knocked furiously on the door in front of them. She must be dropping him off at the orphanage he knew all too well. He wanted to scream at her, cry, yell, tell her not to leave him. 

She could only spare a glance down at Keith before she was racing down the steps of the orphanage, and as Keith heard another explosion, he could only watch in horror as she seemed to race towards the sound of the blast. 

No. no! She was leaving him. She couldn’t go. She wouldn’t come back. There was another blast, and Keith heard himself screaming.

\-----------------

He bolted straight up in bed, the scream echoing through his room. He realized there were tears falling down his cheeks, but he was too panicked to care. He had to find her. He knew her face now. He knew her name. She had left him to protect him. She had promised to come back for him. 

She never did.

Keith needed to find her. He needed help finding her. He would do whatever it takes. He needed to find his mother. 

He was up and moving before he even realized where he was going. He had no shirt on, only pants. No socks. He was drenched in sweat from head to toe.  
He couldn’t waist any time. 

He didn’t even knock as he raced into Pidge’s room. They were asleep, sprawled out on their bed. Sound asleep.

Keith was breathing heavily, but he didn’t seem to care. He raced forward and shook Pidge by the shoulders, waking them from their sleep with a start.  
Pidge rubbed the sleep from their eyes, now looking alert.

“Keith? What is it? What’s wrong? Are we under attack?”

“Can you analyze dreams?”

Pidge began to stutter, going from alert to confused.

“Probably...can it wait until morning? I’m still ti-”

“N-no. It really can’t.”

He was going to find her.

He didn’t care if it killed him.

He would find her.


	2. Blue and the Mullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There’s nothing to tell.” He replied calmly, though after he took a step towards the door, the warm arms that had appeared around his waist caused him to come to a halt. Lance had his arms around Keith’s abdomen, and he could feel soft kisses being pressed into the back of his neck, causing him to shudder slightly. Hesitantly, he put a hand over Lance’s.  
> “I saw my mother in my dreams last night.”  
> He felt Lance tense up, and Keith immediately regretted telling him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> K L A N C E

Keith and Pidge spent nearly 5 hours in the lab.

Pidge was slouching, and yawning into their hand every now and then, and Keith felt a tinge of guilt tug at his chest. This, however, was necessary. Keith had to track down his mother. If she was alive, he had to try and find her. If not, then he at least needed answers.

Pidge had him laying down on a bed, with electrodes attached to his forehead, temples, jaw, and neck. Every now and then Keith could feel them pulsating. Pidge had instructed him to go back to sleep, to try and remember the dream he had had so it could be accessed, but Keith was too alert now. Too on edge. 

Just as Keith could sense Pidge was about to give up, Lance poked his head into the room, sleep mask having been lifted up so it was resting against his hair, disheveled from last nights sleep.

“Coran wanted me to come get you two for breakfast,” The blue paladin began, but let himself fully into the room when he noticed Keith practically strapped to the bed, electrodes stuck to his head. “What are you two even doing in here?”

“Dream Analysis that apparently couldn’t wait until later.” Pidge muttered, yawning before they went back to checking the monitor Keith was attached to. Keith did feel bad for waking them, but he knew no one else would willingly help him look for his very purple, very Galra mother. 

Lance hummed a little as he approached the green and the red paladin, and Keith noticed how Lance was wearing entirely blue. His sleep mask was pink (Most likely Allura’s, actually), but his robe was a royal blue, and he was wearing blue lion slippers. Where the hell did he even get those?

“Pidge, go ahead and get breakfast.” Keith finally sighed, sitting up and removing the electrodes. This wasn’t going to happen right now, even if he wanted it to. 

Pidge didn’t need to be told twice. Keith saw the smirk on Lance’s lips as Pidge all but sprinted out of the room, and when the doors swished shut behind them, Lance’s smile suddenly fell. As Keith rose to his feet, he felt Lance’s hand come to rest on his back.

“So...wanna tell me why Pidge is tapping into your head hole?”

Keith suppressed a smile.

“I just had a weird dream I wanted to look at again. Nothing exciting.”

Why was he lying? Lance simply crossed his arms, giving Keith a knowing look. How Blue could read him like a book, Keith still wasn’t sure.

“Nothing exciting?” Lance repeated slowly, as if waiting for Keith to reveal this big secret. “You know you can tell me anything, Mullet.”

Keith couldn’t stop himself from giving a small smirk at the stupid ass nickname.

“There’s nothing to tell.” He replied calmly, though after he took a step towards the door, the warm arms that had appeared around his waist caused him to come to a halt. Lance had his arms around Keith’s abdomen, and he could feel soft kisses being pressed into the back of his neck, causing him to shudder slightly. Hesitantly, he put a hand over Lance’s.

“I saw my mother in my dreams last night.”

He felt Lance tense up, and Keith immediately regretted telling him. The kisses had stopped. He knew Lance was weighing his options, trying to figure out what would be the best thing to say. He seemed to decide on something, because Keith felt Lance’s arms move, and suddenly his boyfriend was standing in front of him.

“Galra mother?”

“The very same.”

Lance hummed. Keith took a shaky breath.

“She was pretty, Lance.”

“Tell me about her.”

Keith gave himself a moment before he found the courage to speak.

“She looked like a Galra woman. Purple skin, yellow eyes, claws, pointed teeth...but there was something soft about her too, Lance. Gentle. I could feel her holding me. She held me close and told me that I would be okay. She gave me the dagger. She was trying to protect me, Lance. She did what she did to keep me safe, because I didn’t look like you, I-I looked like a monster, I l-looked like the monster I-I’m supposed to be, and-and-” 

Keith hadn’t even realized how fast his words had become and how erratic his breathing was. Lance seemed to momentarily panic, but suddenly Keith was being pulled into his arms, and there was a hand on the back of his head, as well as a hand rubbing circles against his back, which was still bare from the night before. 

Burying his face into Lance’s neck, Keith let his eyes fall shut, willing himself not to let the tears that pricked at the corner of his eyes fall. 

After what felt like ages, Keith finally managed to take a deep breath. The pair pulled out of their embrace, and Keith watched as Lance pulled off his robe, revealing the grey t-shirt underneath it. The fuzzy blue robe was wrapped around Keith’s shoulders, and warm fingers intertwined with colder ones.

Lance pressed a quick kiss to Keith’s temple, and gave him one of the smiles he saved only for Keith. It always made Keith’s breath catch in his throat.

“Are you alright?”

All Keith could do was nod. Lance squeezed his hand.

“Pidge is smart. I know we’ll find her, buddy.” 

Keith smiled lightly at the nickname. It was a stupid ass nickname, but it never failed to make him grin. Lance’s face broke into a wide smile as he caught sight of Keith’s reaction.

“Hungry enough to try and eat?”

Keith nodded again. Lance tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the door.

“When you try again with Pidge, do you mind if I stay in the room? I might be able to help.”

Keith snorted.

“Do you really think you’d be able to help?”

“Not in the slightest, but it gives me an opportunity to laugh at you with those little stickies on your head.”

The pair shared a laugh, and hand in hand, they headed to the dining hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 will be coming soon!


	3. The Monitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monitor was showing everything as Keith was seeing it.  
> Pidge frowned, moving slightly closer to the monitor.  
> Keith was being sung to. The screen was mostly black, but every now and then, the eyes they were seeing through would blink open, only for a moment. It was almost as if he was waking up from a long sleep. Finally, Lance let out a sigh of relief when the eyes stayed open. He had to admit, even he was interested to see what was about to play out.

Pidge had suggested that Keith sleep attached to the electrodes that night. Lance had suggested that Keith try and get an actual nights sleep so they could try again the next morning, but Keith didn’t have time to wait around and waste time. If sleeping with the electrodes on meant getting to his mother soon, then that’s what it took. 

Keith was laying back on the bed. Pidge smiled down at him as they attached the electrodes to his head, and Keith felt Lance’s fingers intertwine with his own.

Lance had agreed to spend the night in the lab with them, and Keith had to admit, he was grateful. This entire thing was terrifying to him. The thought that in only a few hours, they could have actual, concrete information on his mother...it was enough to shake the red paladin to his core. Having Lance there helped ground him. Helped to remind him that he was safe. 

Pidge stepped away from the bed, and headed towards the control panel, where all of the wires led to. 

“Okay, all you need to do is sleep, and try to have the same dream as before. Whatever you see, we’ll be able to see on this monitor!” Pidge tapped the monitor next to them, giving Keith a grin. “Basically what I’m saying is to try and keep your dreams PG13.” They glanced in between Keith and Lance, who both flushed a dark shade of red. Pidge continued.

“If you can’t get that same dream back, it’s fine. Just try and focus on her. If you do, we can try and do a facial scan, see if it’s in the data base for Marmora soldiers, since that’s the symbol your knife has.”

Keith took a shaky breath at that. He remembered what his mother had told him, he remembered how that knife acted as his cloak, keeping him looking human. Normal. His fingers twitched, and he felt it by his side, as always.

“If things start to get bad, wake me up?” Keith asked slowly, and Lance was the one to respond.

“We were planning on it. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

For once in his life, Lance wasn’t being sarcastic. Keith was worried, so Lance had to be strong for him. He had to make sure Keith felt safe and grounded. If that meant no jokes or sarcastic remarks for a while, then that’s what it took. Lance would be there for him. Keith was more grateful than he ever thought he could be.

To be honest, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. Feeling Lance’s hand in his own, it was enough to make him forget he was in the lab, and soon he was out like a light. 

Pidge and Lance stayed awake for the better part of the night. The monitor remained black for quite a while, and just as they were finishing up their ninth game of eye spy, the monitor flickered to life. Lance saw Keith’s brow furrow, but after he squeezed his hand, the red paladin began to calm down.

The monitor was showing everything as Keith was seeing it. 

Pidge frowned, moving slightly closer to the monitor.

Keith was being sung to. The screen was mostly black, but every now and then, the eyes they were seeing through would blink open, only for a moment. It was almost as if he was waking up from a long sleep. Finally, Lance let out a sigh of relief when the eyes stayed open. He had to admit, even he was interested to see what was about to play out. 

The room was dark. Not dark enough that you couldn’t see, but it was obvious to tell it was the middle of the night. Suddenly, a hand was reaching into the crib. 

Lance and Pidge both glanced at each other as they saw the purple claws being placed against a tiny chest, but baby Keith only seemed to giggle, fuzzy, chubby paws (paws?) reaching out to grab ahold of the hand. The singing abruptly stopped, and as the second hand came down, Keith was being lifted out of his crib and cradled.

“There’s my little Lion.” 

Lance suddenly felt like he shouldn’t be watching. He felt like he’d stumbled upon a very private moment between mother and son, but he couldn’t force himself to look away.

The Keith on the monitor screamed with laughter as suddenly he was being kissed upon the forehead. When the woman pulled away, Lance saw Pidge scramble into action, but his attention was drawn back to the monitor. Keith had been right. This woman was beautiful, despite being the same species as the enemy. He immediately noticed she had the same hair as Keith, and the same nose. Keith had to have gotten his good looks from somewhere, right? His mother had started to sing again softly, but this time in a language he had never properly heard. Must be a Galran lullaby. 

Just as the eyes began to slowly shut again, the bedroom door opened, and Pidge seemed to stop their frantic typing as a man’s voice rang through the speakers, loud and clear.

“They’re coming.” 

The singing stopped.

“Are you positive?”

“You told us this would be a good spot. You promised us staying on Earth would be safe for him!”

Lance could only frown as Keith’s mother began to stammer. Keith began to whine, but she quickly shushed him, rocking him softly.

“I have to hide him.”

“Hide him?”

“It’s not safe for him here. He isn’t safe with me, or you. They know both of us.”

“You can’t do this! He’s my son too!”

Lance felt Keith’s hand starting to clench around his own. Glancing up to look at the face of his boyfriend, he noticed how it had contorted into a look of pain. He had to wake him up.

“Keith?” He asked softly

The voices continued.

“If they find him, they’ll kill him. I need to do this, Christopher, I’m sorry!”

“Keith.” A little firmer now. Lance placed a hand on his shoulder. Keith flinched.

“How are you going to hide him, Oria? Look at him!”

“Keith.” Louder now.

“I’m hiding him to protect him!”

“From what? This is your fault! They’re tracking you, not him!”

“Keith!” Lance finally shook him. The monitor suddenly turned off, and Keith awoke with a hard, raspy gasp. He bolted up in the bed, immediately trying to fight himself out of Lance’s grip.

“Keith, Keith! It’s me! It’s Lance! You’re awake, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

Lance grabbed both of Keith’s wrists, trying to steady him. Keith was breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room, but other than that, he seemed okay. 

Keith finally locked eyes with Lance, and let out a quiet breath of relief as he realized where he was. Once he had got his breathing under control, he let Lance pull him into a hug. It only lasted for a moment, but Keith was grateful for it nonetheless.

“She’s pretty.” Lance whispered as he pulled away, and the pair shared a tired smile.

Clearing his throat, Keith turned his attention to Pidge, who was still typing away furiously, eyes narrowed at the screen.

“Did you find anything?”

Pidge didn’t answer. Lance and Keith glanced at each other, but a loud ding broke the silence. 

Pidge smiled, looking quite proud of themselves. 

“Pidge?”

“I scanned the face in the dream with the Blade of Marmora Database to see if I could find a match.”

“And?”

“I got one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 will probably be up sooner than later, let's be honest here. I can't stop working on this lmao.


	4. Kolivan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No.”  
> “Hear us out-”  
> “I am NOT contacting Kolivan so you can track down another Galran!”

Keith felt his heart skip a beat. They had a match in the Marmora database. That means she was most likely a soldier. She was most likely fighting AGAINST Zarkon. Pidge was going on and on about everything in the file, but Keith couldn’t listen. He couldn’t focus. So many scenarios were running around in his head. 

Would he be able to meet her? What if she didn’t like him? What if he didn’t like her? 

He felt Lance’s hand move up and down his back. The thoughts racing around in his head momentarily came to a halt. He finally registered Pidge’s voice.

“...so I guess she must have escaped? I don’t know, to be perfectly honest. Maybe Kolivan knows who she is? She seems to have had kind of a high rank in-”

“I need to get ahold of Kolivan.” Keith blurted out, unaware he was speaking until the sentence had finished itself. He ripped the electrodes off of his head and stood, and Lance had a moment of panic. When Keith got an idea in his head, he would fight and do anything it took to make it happen. Suddenly, the Blue paladin was on his head, grabbing ahold of Keith’s arm.

“Look, why don’t we go talk to Allura?”

“Why do we need to talk to Allura? She won’t be happy we’re even looking into this.”

Lance stuttered for a moment.

“If anyone can get Kolivan here, it’s Allura. He won’t come if one of the paladin’s call him. He won’t find it necessary.” 

Keith frowned. He knew Lance was right. Damn, he hated when Lance was right. Lance squeezed his arm reassuringly, before Pidge stood up, holding out a chip towards Keith. 

“I put everything on a drive for you if you want to look at it. Just incase it takes us a while to reach Kolivan.”

Keith silently took the chip, but gave Pidge a small smile in thanks. Everything about his mother was on this one drive. Almost everything he needed to know. He felt Lance kiss the side of his head.

“Let’s go talk to Allura.”

 

“No.”

“Hear us out-”

“I am NOT contacting Kolivan so you can track down another Galran!”

“It’s not just any Galran-” Lance had been trying to reason with Allura for nearly twenty minutes. Keith and Pidge stood quietly behind him, Keith very grateful that Lance was speaking for him. He knew Lance would be able to convince her more than he ever would at this rate. Despite her forgiving him, there was still some tension.

“Oh, forgive me, Lance!” She wheeled around to look at the paladin, her arms crossed, “They could be one of Zarkon’s.”

“They’re not!”

“How do you know? There’s no way to-”

“We’re looking for Keith’s mom!”

Allura froze up. She stopped speaking and glanced back at Keith. After a slight hesitation, she straightened up. 

“Is this true, Keith?”

Keith couldn’t help but avoid her eye contact. He felt bad. Why did he feel bad? Maybe because the species of woman he was looking for was of the same species that wiped out her entire race. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a nod.

“Yes, it’s true.”

Allura sighed. 

“Fine.” She began, turning back towards the control panel. “I will contact Kolivan, but if this turns out to be a trick, or a mistake, there will be consquences.”

 

Allura contacted Kolivan. Allura had forced Keith, Pidge, and Lance to wait outside the room. Keith wasn’t sure he’d stopped pacing once. Hunk had joined their little group at some point, because he could hear his voice, but Keith wasn’t paying attention to anything the yellow paladin was saying. Probably something about dinner, or Voltron, or literally anything else.

Finally, the door swished open, and Keith came to a sudden stop. Allura stood there, expression neutral. 

“Kolivan wishes to speak to you.” She stated matter of factly to Keith, then stepped aside so he could enter the room. Keith knew Allura wasn’t happy about this, but seeing her so openly displeased left an ache low in his stomach. 

Slowly, he entered the room. The door shut with a woosh behind him, and Keith could see Kolivan’s face through the video monitor. He approached slowly, clearing his throat.

Stay strong. You can do this.

“Kolivan.”

“Keith.”

There was a moment of silence before Kolivan spoke up again. 

“The Princess told me you wanted to know of the status of one of our soldiers.”

“I do.” Keith nodded, taking a sharp inhale of breath. “Her name was Oria.” 

Kolivan seemed to pause. Keith must have taken the Galran off guard, because he took another long moment before answering. Keith was the first to speak.

“Well? Do you know her?”

“I do.”

Keith nearly crumbled. His breath caught in his throat, but he forced himself to continue.

“Where is she?”

“She was last seen leaving on a scouting mission to Barcadia.”

“How long ago?”

“Five of your Earth days.”

She was alive. His mother was alive.

“And she’s on your side?”

“She is.”

“When will she be returning?”

“Her and her crew are set to return at sunrise.”

Keith finally found himself unable to answer. He turned on heel and left the room, pushing passed Lance and Hunk, heading towards the hanger. He had to get to the Marmora base. He could see her as early as tomorrow. She was alive. He was going to see her.

He felt a hand wrap around his wrist, forcing him to turn around. Allura was holding onto him, frowning.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Marmora base.”

“Alone?” Lance rushed forward then, arms crossing. “No way. Not happening.” 

“She’s alive, Lance. I have to go!” Keith let out a huff, and despite feeling like a child, he let out a groan. They seriously couldn’t keep him there. He had to go find his mother.

“You’re not going alone.” Allura finally cut in, releasing his wrist. “Lance and I will accompany you. Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Coran will stay here and guard the castle.”  
Keith’s pout was replaced with a look of gratitude. 

“Are you sure?”

“I suggest you agree before I change my mind, Keith.”

“Yes! Alright. Thank you, Allura. It-it means a lot more to me than you know.”

Allura gave Keith a smile, and though it seemed forced, it was still something.

“Ready your Lion, Keith. We leave within the Varga.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in one day whoops


	5. Take The Knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The pathway has been opened, Paladins. It will close in ten of your Earth minutes, and reopen when you are prepared to leave. Please, enter.”   
> There was a soft buzz, and the comm shut off. Letting out a sigh, Keith took control of the steering again.  
> “Here goes nothing.”

Keith, Lance, and Allura were all piled into the red lion. Keith was in his regular seat, steering, while Lance and Allura stood behind him, silent. They had been flying for nearly half an hour now, and as they got closer and closer to the Marmora base, Keith was beginning to wonder if all of this was worth it. 

Red seemed to understand his discomfort, because suddenly she was flying on autopilot. Keith let his hands drop, and he fumbled with the dagger attached to his belt. His blade. He felt Lance’s hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t move.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I have to, Lance.”

Lance sighed.

“Of course you do.”

Normally, Keith would’ve had a witty retort to Lance’s comment, but he didn’t have the energy. He was tired, and he knew Lance understood, because he patted the top of Keith’s helmet. Keith smiled. Allura pretended not to notice their little moment.

Suddenly, Red came to a halt. Keith released his grip on his dagger, and looked through the front window. They were there. There was a buzz through the intercom, before Keith could hear a woman’s voice. It seemed automated, yet it addressed them directly.

“The pathway has been opened, Paladins. It will close in ten of your Earth minutes, and reopen when you are prepared to leave. Please, enter.” 

There was a soft buzz, and the comm shut off. Letting out a sigh, Keith took control of the steering again.

“Here goes nothing.”

 

They landed in the hanger, and Kolivan himself was there to meet them. He had his arms crossed, and there were two other guards standing on either side. As Red’s jaw opened and the three exited the lion, he took a step towards them. 

“You made it.”

Allura stepped forward first, before Keith had a chance to respond.

“We’re on a time limit, Kolivan.”

“It’s lovely to see you too, Princess.” Kolivan muttered, dropping his arms to his side. He then turned his attention to Keith, seemingly ignoring Allura all together.

Keith had to find the courage to speak.

“Has she returned from her scouting mission yet?”

“No. Oria and her crew are set to return soon.” 

Keith could only nod. The red paladin crossed his arms.

Kolivan looked between the trio, then turned on heel.

“You are welcome to wander throughout the base, but be aware. When she arrives, you will be brought to the control room.”

He was gone before Lance, Keith, and Allura had the chance to respond. Lance was the first to break the silence. 

“Well, you heard the guy...let’s go wander!”

“Wait.” Keith grabbed Lance’s hand as he began to head for the door, and he pulled the dagger off of his belt. He handed it to Lance, hands shaking the moment he let go.

“Don’t give it back to me, no matter what happens. I want to see if what she said in the dream is true.”

Allura stepped forward, frowning.

“What did she say in your dream?”

“She told me that my knife was like a cloaking device. It makes me look like a normal human. If I’m going to meet her, I want her to see me in my own skin.”

Lance frowned, but nodded, placing the knife onto his belt. Keith could immediately feel his body tingling, starting at the top of his head, and ending all the way down by his toes. It didn’t hurt, but he didn’t like it either way.

It felt odd.

The trio then began to wander around the base. It felt like they were just walking for hours, but Keith could feel the tingling turning into steady pulsating underneath his armor. He felt his hands start to sting, and when his gloves became very tight very quickly, he stopped walking and grimaced. Lance and Allura seemed to notice, because they turned to face him, although hesitantly. Lance frowned, taking a slow step towards the other paladin.

“Keith?”

Keith didn’t answer, his tore off his gloves, frowning when he saw normal fingers being replaced by long, purple claws. This was happening faster than Keith had expected. Suddenly his knees buckled out from underneath him, and he heard Lance rush forward to catch him as he fell.

“Keith!”

Leaning against Lance’s chest, he could feel the pulses getting more and more aggressive as they worked their way up his body. Keith squeezed his eyes shut before they got passed his mouth. His teeth were growing sharp in his mouth, and as sudden as it started, the pulsating stopped. Keith forced his eyes open, but he immediately noticed the tinge of yellow to the hallway. Well, there was a tinge of yellow to everything. He finally glanced up at Lance, who was staring down at him with wide, slightly scared eyes. 

“Lance?”

“Are...you’re...” Allura breathed out, staying a good distance away from the pair. She had her hand on a blaster that was attached to her hips, and Keith felt heat rise to his cheeks as Lance slowly helped him to his feet. 

“How...how do I look?” Keith asked softly, the usual roughness from his voice was gone. He was trying to lighten the mood. Lance smiled ever so slightly, before he took a deep breath.

“Like a purple, fuzzy version of Keith.” Lance muttered, though he couldn’t help himself as he reached up to pet the black, fuzzy ears that had appeared on the top of Keith’s head. “You’re so cute! Look at your little ears-who’s a good boy? You are! Yes you are!”

Keith watched his boyfriend with a blank expression as Lance ruffled his hair and pet his ears. He didn’t, however, move away. He wasn’t complaining.

“So I don’t look stupid?”

“You could never look stupid, Keith.” Allura said softly as she finally approached them, and Lance snorted.

“Debatable.”

Keith smacked Lance in the arm, and Lance smacked him back. The pair shared a smirk, and Keith shuddered when Allura lightly touched one of his ears.

“Okay! Ears are officially off limits.” He said loudly, and Lance pouted.

“I wanted to see if you would purr!”

The three finally shared a much needed laugh, until a masked soldier let himself into the hallway. 

“Kolivan requests your appearances in the Control Room.”

Keith’s breath caught in his throat.

His mother was on the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cough cough next chapter we meet Oria I'm so ready


	6. Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After taking a slow yet deep breath, Keith pushed back the overwhelming urge to turn on heel and run, and he opened the doors to the control room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I t s t i m e

Lance practically had to drag Keith towards the Control Room. Keith had found himself unable to move, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. He had spent his entire life searching for his mother, wanting answers. Now, he was about to get them.

He knew it had to be done and that there was no backing out now, but to be honest, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for this. 

It took him a moment to register that Allura was speaking to him.

“...and as much as I’m sure you’ll want to remain here as long as you possibly can, we will need to take an eventual leave back to the castle, and-” 

Keith stopped walking, and Allura stopped talking. Lance turned to look back at the pair, frowning, dropping Keith’s hand.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” He asked hesitantly, and after a long moment, Keith held out his hand. Lance reached out to take it, but Keith quickly shook his head.

“I want my knife back. I just...I wanted to meet her like this, but I can’t.”

Keith was never one to just outright admit that he was scared, or that he couldn’t do something. Lance knew this wasn’t the time to joke around or make some kind of comment. If Keith wanted the knife back, Lance would give him the knife back.

Nodding, Lance removed it from his belt, and placed the dagger back into Keith’s hands. Almost immediately the purple around his hands began to fade, his normal skin color beginning to reappear. Keith seemed to visibly relax, but didn’t move for quite some time. After two or three minutes, the red paladin cleared his throat.

“Well?”

“Back to normal.” Allura smiled reassuringly, a hand coming up to rest on Keith’s arm. 

Keith gave a slow nod. Though he couldn’t entirely control what was about to happen, he could more or less control how he presented himself to her. He allowed Lance to take his hand again, as the trio approached the double doors of the control room. 

Keith hesitated. He didn’t move to open the doors, swallowing the lump in his throat. Shit, he was beginning to panic. He wished Shiro was here. He loved Lance with all his heart, but Shiro had always been better in panic situations. 

Allura finally broke the long silence.

“Tell us what’s going through your head, Keith.”

“She won’t recognize me.”

“Most likely not.”

“Don’t...don’t tell her who I am, okay? Just tell her I’m a Paladin of Voltron.”

Lance and Allura shared a frown, but the pair nodded nonetheless.

“Of course, buddy.” Lance patted Keith on the back.

After taking a slow yet deep breath, Keith pushed back the overwhelming urge to turn on heel and run, and he opened the doors.

 

He almost didn’t spot them. The room was so crowded with Galran’s that it was difficult for Keith to even look around the room. Men and women alike, even locating Kolivan was hard.

However, when they did spot Kolivan, he was standing by the control panel, entering something into the database in a language Keith didn’t understand, obviously. A few people moved from around the desk, and Keith’s breath caught in his throat.

She was standing right next to Kolivan, leaning on the control panel, giving him the information he needed to enter. She was in full Marmora uniform, despite having her mask off. It was her. She was there. She was alive.

Keith was staring directly at his mother. 

Allura suddenly moved passed him, clearing her throat. The room immediately fell silent, and Kolivan stood, turning around to face her. Keith watched as she approached Kolivan, who only glanced down at her.

“Princess Allura.”

“Kolivan.” Allura smiled warmly, despite her obvious discomfort, and finally took a moment to look at the woman standing beside her. 

Keith hadn’t realized that he and Lance were quickly following behind Allura. Keith couldn’t take his eyes off his mother as Allura spoke to her, as if it was the most natural conversation in the universe.

“And you are?”

The woman glanced at the paladins, then back to Allura. Finally, she bowed. 

“I am Oria. It is an honor to meet you, Princess.”

Allura forced a smile.

“Please raise, Oria. There is no need to bow.”

Oria stood, and after glancing back at the Paladins, Allura cleared her throat.

“I have the honor of introducing you to two of the Paladins of Voltron. Lance, of the blue lion, and Keith of the red lion.”

Oria nodded slightly, looking the pair up and down. She focused on Keith for a moment, before smiling slightly.

“So, you’re two of the five that I’ve heard so much about.”

Keith felt a lump form in his throat. He was right. She didn’t recognize him. Part of him was glad. Part of him wanted her to automatically know that he was her son. Part of him wanted to just go home.

“That’s us!” Lance smirked, his arms crossing. Oria returned the smirk, raising her eyebrows. Keith finally noticed her appearance. She was older, yes, but she was just as beautiful as Keith remembered. Curly black hair was hidden in her hood, and her yellow eyes had this comforting glow to them. Keith never wanted to stop staring. He finally tore his eyes away from her long enough to see Allura waving her hand at him.

“Keith, Lance and I need to discuss some strategies with Kolivan. Perhaps you and Oria could get to know each other slightly better?” She smiled, and Keith took a sharp inhale. All he could do was nod, and Oria was the only one to speak.

“You could show me your Lion-”

“Red.” 

That was the first fucking word he said to his mother. The name of his Lion. He heard a faint purr in the back of his mind. Red liked being bragged about. She always had.

Before he knew it, Keith and Oria were out of the control room, and walking down the corridor towards the hanger. It was only when they reached an elevator, did Oria speak up.

“You’re the one Thace sacrificed himself for, then.”

Keith felt a tug at his chest. He slowly nodded.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.” 

Oria nodded as well, still staring straight ahead. She was colder than the woman Keith saw in his dreams. Then again, he supposed he was colder too. Years of being alone and war did that to a person.

Keith took a deep breath. He had to say something. 

“How long have you been working as a Blade?”

“18 of your Earth years.” She replied calmly, hands resting easily at her side. Despite sounding relaxed, Keith could still sense how tense the woman was. 

Keith was 19. She had started working for Kolivan after he was born. After she left. He cleared his throat. Oria didn’t move. The elevator doors opened, and Keith was the first one to exit. He could hear her following closely behind. 

He couldn’t stop the smile appearing on his face as he caught sight of Red. He walked up to her, and let his hand rest on her right paw.

“Hey, girl. Miss me?” He mumbled, as her eyes flashed to life. He heard another faint purr.

He heard Oria whistle from behind him, impressed. When she spoke, however, Keith could hear the hesitance in her voice, and he could sense the coldness fading from the room, as well as the hanger.

“I knew you’d do great things when you grew up, but I never imagined my son could be a Voltron pilot. I’m impressed.”

Keith nearly stopped breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 1am whoopsies  
> There's gonna be a reunion in the next chapter, followed bY PURE ANGST IN THE UPCOMING ONES. Don't worry though kids, it'll have a happy ending over all.


	7. Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had craved this moment his entire life, but now that the moment was here, he honestly had no idea what to say or what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the calm before the storm tbh

Mother and son stood in silence for what felt like an eternity. Keith was frozen on the spot, feeling like his feet were glued to the ground. Finally, he hung his head. She was impressed. His mother was impressed with him, yet he knew he wasn’t special. He was one of five. Shiro was the actual impressive one in this scenario, not him. It didn’t register that Oria was approaching him until Keith felt her hand come to rest on his shoulder. She must have removed her glove, because Keith felt how warm her hand was. It was nice. Comforting.

He had craved this moment his entire life, but now that the moment was here, he honestly had no idea what to say or what to do. 

He had always been so strong. Well, he considered himself to be strong. Keith was a fighter. He didn’t let anything break down the walls he had spent his entire life building up. Lance was only beginning to crack the edges of the barricade, but this was entirely different. Nearly 20 years of work were crumbling down around him, and all because of one simple touch. His mothers touch.

What was she doing to him? She moved her hand away from his shoulder, and moved it up and down against Keith’s back. 

The boy broke.

In the time it took for him to blink, Keith had spun around and wrapped his arms around Oria. He buried his face into the crook of his mothers neck, his hands gripping at the cloak she wore. He felt like a clingy child. Keith tensed when he realized Oria hadn’t moved. She didn’t hug him back for a moment, and the paladin felt her eyes bearing down into him. Shit. This was the wrong move.

He moved to pull away, to let her go, but suddenly two warm, loving arms were wrapping around him, pulling him back into the embrace. 

All the tension drained from Keith’s body, and he melted into her. This suddenly felt so real. His mother was here, holding him. He never thought he’d see her outside of his dreams, yet here she was. They stood in a comfortable silence, merely holding each other. 

Eventually, Oria was the one to break the hug. Keith immediately felt lonely. He understood why Lance always commented on how much he missed his mothers hugs. He was already missing it. Oria placed her hands on Keith’s cheeks, looking the boy over. He couldn’t read her expression. She seemed relaxed, but he knew her guard was still up. She was as nervous as he was.

“You still have your knife, I see.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Keith nodded. She smiled sadly, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her sons ear. 

Keith let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Oria cleared her throat.

“I suppose you have questions.”

“I do.”

Her smile faded, and she released Keith from her grip altogether. 

“Ask away.” 

It took all of Keith’s willpower to keep himself from yelling all the questions at once. He had to take it slow. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. He doubted he would actually scare her off, but he didn’t want to risk losing whatever small connection he had with his mother.

“Why did you leave me?” The words came out harsher than he had intended. Oria winced.

“I was a slave on Zarkon’s ship. He was using me to get information about the Blade of Marmora, but I managed to get out with the help of some undercover Blades. My escape pod crashed on Earth, and I met your father.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, and Keith saw pain flash in her eyes. “I turned up on his doorstep in the middle of the night, beaten and bloody, asking for help. He took me in and things got...well, they got serious very quickly. The next thing we knew, we had a baby on the way. We knew Zarkon’s men would come looking for me, so we fled to the other side of the Planet. It wasn’t safe to leave Earth. When you were born, it was the happiest day of our lives.”

Keith watched her closely, and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“That doesn’t answer my question. Why did you leave me?”

“We ended up being right. After you were born, there was an attack on Earth. They had finally found me. I knew if they found you, you’d be killed. If they found your father, he would be tortured until he gave up our location. I bundled you up, changed your appearance, and took you to the nearest orphanage myself. It took everything I had to leave you there. When I got back to our home, your father had taken off. Stolen one of Garrison’s ships, most likely. it’s not hard when you work there, and-”

“Dad worked at the Garrison?” Keith blurted out, and Oria smiled softly, nodding. 

“He was one of the chief training officers. To this day, I don’’t know where he is. Keith,” She approached him, and Keith watched as she grabbed both of his hands, “I left to protect you. You weren’t safe with me, or with him. You have no idea what I would have given to have raised you, watched you grow up. I know your father would have wanted that to.”

He ignored the thought that his father could still be alive. He pushed it back in his mind.

“You never even came back for me.” Keith took a sharp breath, pulling his hands out of Oria’s. He hadn’t realized how angry he sounded. Oria looked like she had been slapped.

“I gave myself over to Zarkon.” Keith’s blood ran cold. She had given up her freedom to make sure Keith didn’t get killed, and to make sure the Planet was spared. “I endured almost three years of torture before Kolivan and his men broke me out. Ever since then, I’ve been residing here. I wanted to come back for you, Keith, but it wasn’t safe.” 

Keith looked away. He wanted to be angry, but he could feel his shoulders sagging, and he didn’t have the energy to fight it. Oria took a step forward, and she returned her hands to the spot on Keith’s cheeks. 

“Now look at you, Keith. You’re a Voltron paladin!” She was smiling now, and Keith could have sworn he saw pride in his mothers eyes. “You’re helping to save the universe. My son is a hero. You defeated Zarkon.”

“The war isn’t over.”

She huffed.

“I know, but I know you will prevail either way. You’re my son, after all.”

The pair shared a smile. Oria’s thumb brushed over his cheekbone, and the last bit of tension faded from Keith’s shoulders. He let his eyes fall shut as he felt her lips being pressed against his forehead. Knowing that sooner than later he would have to leave her here was already eating him alive. 

Suddenly, he could hear a faint humming. He opened his eyes to see Oria smiling down at him, her hands still holding him, and she was humming the song he knew all too well. The same song from his dreams. Before he realized what he was doing, he was humming the tune along with her. Oria’s face lit up. If any of the other paladins saw him like this, they would never let him live it down. 

Oria stopped humming after a moment, and Keith was being pulled into another warm embrace. He felt her hand rest on the back of his head, and he heard Oria sigh. There was no negative feelings in it, though. It was a sigh of content. 

“My baby boy.” 

Keith’s breath hitched. He dug his fingers into her cloak for the second time that day, until the faint blue lights around them began flashing red, and an alarm blared through the room around them. 

The pair quickly pulled away, but Oria held onto Keith’s wrist. 

“What’s going on?” Keith yelled over the noise, but when the doors opened to reveal Lance and Allura running in, he felt dread pooling in the bottom of his stomach.

“We’re under attack. We need Voltron!” Allura said firmly, but Keith could hear the hint of fear in her voice. He immediately felt himself taking charge.

“I’ll take Lance back to get Blue. Princess, stay here.”

“Keith-” Oria gripped his wrist, and Keith frowned. The tables had turned. This time, Keith was leaving her in order to go fight a war.

“I’ll come back. I promise.” 

Reluctantly, Oria let him go for the second time in her life, and watching him go was just as hard as the first time.


End file.
